


Too young and yet so old

by skrivarmelodi



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, Gladio is the best brother, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, and Ignis supports him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 04:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13181958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skrivarmelodi/pseuds/skrivarmelodi
Summary: Ignis gets an alarming text from Noctis and finds a crying Iris and a lost Prince. He does his best to calm them both down and waits for Gladio to return because his sister needs him.





	Too young and yet so old

**Author's Note:**

> It was [hanatsuki89 art](http://hanatsuki89.tumblr.com/post/168949314303/merry-christmas-3-pre-brotherhood-setting) of Gladio, Ignis, Noctis and Iris, curled up together in a blanket, which inspired me to write this. So, this is for you, Elena.

  
  


‘ _I need your help, NOW!_ ’ was the text Ignis had received from Noctis, and he was on full alarm. 

Okay, he knew it was most likely something minor – like Noctis not able to find his favorite socks – but Ignis still couldn't help himself to feel alarmed because the Prince, when he was younger, gave him several heart attacks by disappearing following a cat or because he thought it was funny to leave the Citadel on his own to get some ice cream. 

He couldn't count the times he looked for the Prince nor the times he reminded Noctis to text him if he needed something or wanted to go out. Noctis then tried his best to inform Ignis about most of the things he did but, gradually, Ignis learned to give him some sort of freedom to decide for himself. It was necessary otherwise the Prince would never become independent – and Gladio would call him out for spoiling Noctis. 

So when Ignis asked where he was and the reply said 'At Gladio's' he didn't feel as alarmed anymore, but he was already imagining things like Noctis breaking his leg during practice or Gladio being too harsh with him or that, maybe, he was hiding from the shield because he didn't want to spare. Though, when Ignis arrived at the front door to the Amicitia house, he heard someone crying, literally wailing, and he could tell, right away, that it wasn't Noctis. 

He knocked against the door and was greeted by Noctis himself, looking lost and helpless while the crying continued. 

“What's wrong?” Ignis asked slightly breathless and checked the Prince's appearance from head to toe just  to be sure he was fine. 

“It's Iris,” Noctis said and guided Ignis to her room where she was sitting on her bed, clutching a stuffed Mogry as if she was scared someone might take it away from her. 

“Ignis!!” she wailed when she noticed him and jumped off her bed to fall right into his arms. He held the little girl as she cried against his shoulder and tried to calm her down by running soothing circles over her back, just like he used to do for Noctis when he was crying. 

“It's alright, Iris,” Ignis tried and looked back at Noctis when her crying turned into a chain of sobbing sounds. He knew Clarus was out of town together with the King, but he wondered where Gladio was, since it was pretty late. 

“What happened?” 

Noctis rubbed the back of his head, something he did when he felt embarrassed or lost, and though he was fourteen, he looked so much younger when he said: “We were... talking about Christmas and then about... our mothers.”

Ignis didn't need to hear more than that to understand why Iris was crying. She was still young and Gladio had told him how hard Christmas was for her. She was a little girl with only a brother and her father who both – just like everyone else – became especially busy right before Christmas. Gladio knew that, that's why Ignis was so surprised not to see him with them, since he had made it his mission to be with his sister whenever his father would leave so she wouldn't feel alone. 

“Where's Gladio?” Ignis asked. 

“He went to get us some pizza to eat while we watch a movie. He should be back any minute but the moment he left she started crying and I didn't know what to do,” Noctis said as if it was painful. 

Ignis had no doubt that it was painful for him because the Prince himself used to cry a lot when they talked about his mother or when his father left because of duty. 

“At least she calmed down a bit, right?” 

Ignis looked back at the girl who was clutching the Mogry but leaning against Ignis with her whole weight. She calmed down indeed but he knew he wasn't the person she was aching for nor the person who could help her fall asleep. It was her dear brother who did everything for his sister so she would never cry nor be unhappy. 

“Come on. We'll go to the living room and wait for Gladio, alright?” Ignis said slowly as he pulled back so he could smile at Iris and look into her eyes. It was all wet and snotty and her brown eyes were so big and watery that he felt terribly sorry for her. Yet she nodded and he lifted her up to carry her out of her room and took Noctis hand to drag him with them. He could tell that Noctis didn't feel much different from Iris, but he was better at hiding it. 

They sat down and Ignis reached out for the tissues on the table to clean her face. Then he leaned back and held her close against his chest as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Iris was still sobbing but they knew each other well enough by now that she could find some sort of comfort in his arms. 

Noctis tried to help by talking about Chocobros and Mogrys with a rare smile on his face in order to cheer her up. Ignis did the same, sharing facts he knew and distracting them both from the forbidden ‘mother' topic. 

They sat like that for almost ten minutes before Gladio entered the house, announcing his return by saying: “Sorry for being late, but the line was-”

“Gladdy!” Iris cried out and jumped off Ignis to run to her brother. 

Ignis didn't mind because he understood that she had a deep bond with her brother and trusted him more than anyone. Gladio managed to place the packed pizza on the table nearby before he caught his sister, clearly alarmed when she started crying again. But then his face changed as if he remembered, as if he knew why she was crying.

“It's alright, Iris. I'm here now,” he said and squeezed her close before his eyes looked over to where Noctis and Ignis sat. He held Iris with one arm and carried the pizza with the other, Ignis making himself useful by taking the pizza from his secret boyfriend and putting it on the table. 

“You okay, Noct?” he asked, knowing that Iris wasn't the only one having a hard time right before Christmas. His free hand ran through Noctis hair who sweated it away and mumbled a 'yeah, yeah, stop that' and then he walked around the couch to sit down next to Ignis. 

“Thanks for coming,” Gladio said with a small smile and Ignis almost blushed but managed not to when he remembered where they were and what  the  situation was. 

Ignis nodded and smiled back while watching how Gladio managed to calm his sister down by simply holding her and saying nothing special. All he did was reassure her that he was here and that she wasn't alone and it was all Iris needed to calm down. It was, at the same time, a lovely and fascinating view, and Ignis had always loved that side of Gladio, his unconditional love for his sister and all the things he did for her. Like dressing up, having tea parties with her invisible friends, letting her do his hair... Ignis saw it all and it warmed up his heart whenever he saw them together. 

“How does a movie and pizza sound now?” Gladio asked her after a while and Iris nodded, wiping the last remaining tears off her face. 

“Can you two watch with us?” Iris asked hesitantly and looked at Ignis and Noctis. 

The Prince agreed – Noctis never said no to pizza no matter the situation – and Ignis looked up to Gladio as if to make sure he wanted that too. Of course he would, he always wanted to have Ignis around and, even in this private moment he didn't push Ignis away but welcomed him. Gladio said that all through his eyes, with a warm shine and a smile that he only showed Ignis. 

So the adviser agreed, making the girl smile more, and watched her reaching out for a huge blanket. 

“It's like a full family, right? Gladdy?” Iris asked and Gladio nodded as he handed one end of the blanket to Noctis so they could wrap it around the four of them. 

“Well, it would be weird if I were your dad... and I'm not sure if Noct is ready to be a brother and accept all the duties that come with being the older brother with a younger sister. But,” Ignis knew where this was going and he was already glaring at Gladio for the next words: “Ignis certainly fulfills the duties of a mother.”

Noctis snorted and Gladio grinned while Iris giggled as she said: “Ignis can't be a mother. He's a guy.”

“But guys can be mom's too,” Gladio said. “It's not about if someone is a boy or a girl, but about the love we have for the people around us.” His last words were accompanied by a bop on Iris nose, which made her genuinely laugh. 

“I guess you're right,” she agreed.

Gladio nodded, as Noctis continued giggling and Ignis sighed but didn't say anything. They agreed to watch a movie – it was Iris’ choice – and eat pizza. 

At some point Iris fell asleep and Noctis did the same, leaning his body against Ignis', which he used to do a lot before he became a teenager and considered it rather embarrassing. Though, Ignis didn't mind and made sure that Noctis was comfortable. He needed comfort because he, just like Iris, was painfully reminded of the absence of his blood related family today.

A smile spread over his lips to the soft snoring sounds of the two youngsters and then he felt lips against his temple. 

Even though their relationship was still a secret, Ignis didn't glare or reminded Gladio of the situation. The others were sleeping and Gladio would never get too close if he wasn't certain himself that no one would notice anything. 

“Thank you for being here when I couldn't,” Gladio whispered gratefully and Ignis turned his head to be met by a warm, soft smile from his boyfriend. 

“As you said, I'm a good mum substitute,” he couldn't hold this remark back.

“What? Are you mad I said that? I wasn't making fun of you, I was appreciating your motherly dedication towards Noct and Iris. You held her just the way you used to hold Noct, and it makes me happy to see how you care about her.”

“Of course I care. And it's no big deal. They are both young and need us grown ups, even if they say they don't,” Ignis said. 

“Yeah. Well, to be honest, I wouldn't mind being younger if it meant I could switch places with Noctis now. Makes me kinda jealous,” Gladio joked and Ignis chuckled. His boyfriend may have been a year older and bigger, but in his mind he could still come up with childish thoughts. 

“Well, I only know one person who's allowed to share a bed with me until morning.”

“And that person is me,” Gladio said all proud and Ignis nodded before he leaned his head back a bit,  asking for something  and Gladio understood. Ignis stretched his neck  so much  that it almost became painful but he wanted to be kissed and Gladio granted him that unspoken wish. 

“You should get some rest too,” Gladio whispered. 

But it wasn't just Ignis who fell asleep as he leaned against the shield. 

The four of them were soon snoring, glued together and warmed up by the blanket and the ir body heat, as if they were a family. 

 


End file.
